Breath Being Breath

Breath Being Breath (2004) by Berend Strik uses a self-referential construction to evoke the fundamental, continuous nature of respiration — the most basic condition of life.

Breath is the most intimate of bodily functions: we breathe without thinking, yet it is the first thing we do when born and the last before we die. Strik's engagement with this most fundamental life sign connects to his broader interest in the body, physical presence, and the material conditions of existence.

The stitched photograph itself can be seen as a form of breath — a slow, deliberate taking in and giving out of material. Each stitch is like an inhalation; each thread laid down is like an exhalation. The labor-intensive process of stitching mirrors the rhythm of breathing.

Sources: Galerie Fons Welters